History Nebraska Blog

The Corner Drugstore, 1934

October 23, 2012

One of the joys of the extensive NSHS photo collection is the inevitability of stumbling upon interesting photos that have nothing to do with what you’re actually looking for. (This is one reason we have a blog.) Here’s a scene from downtown Lincoln in August 1934 (NSHS RG2158-2424). According to the Lincoln City Directory, Rasmussen Drugs was located at 149 N. 13th St.

The photo’s details tell a story of 1930s life. A tap dance school is just upstairs, catering to dreams stoked by movies and vaudeville. (You can almost hear the reasoning: Fred Astaire is from Omaha, so why couldn’t the next great dancer come from Lincoln?)

Looks like the hot plate lunch special costs twenty-five cents.

Coca-Cola invokes the 1930s ideal of feminine charm to sell its product.

A cigar ad reveals the name of the pharmacy’s former owner.

A makeup company offers a solution to aging skin, while the window’s reflection reveals the photographer’s unintended subjects: two boys by an automobile.